It Takes A Village
by seddiefan2009
Summary: Tim wants to propose to Delilah only he needs his team for back up. As it turns out they aren't so bad at it.


He talks to Tony first. Doesn't even think about it, just drops a box on his partner's desk. Tony looks up with narrowed eyes and picks up the box warily.

"You know Tim, while you are my type, I'm not the kinda guy to settle down. I hate to break your heart though. So the answer is yes! Of course I'll marry you!"

"I'm going to propose to Delilah," Tim rolls his eyes and shifts from foot to foot.

"Oh," Tony's face immediately goes serious, "This is big. Like big big."

Tim makes a distressed noise and Tony opens the box. He whistles when he sees the ring.

"Well done McBigSpender. What is this a full carat?"

"Two actually."

"Well well well, I'm impressed. You know when I pictured this day it usually involved more vomit. And maybe blood. And confetti."

"I don't wanna know," Tim shakes his head, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"What do you think? You have an opinion on everything. Let me hear it. How big of mistake is this? I mean we already live together what do we even need the piece of paper for anyway? You know what? It's a stupid idea I should really return the ring and pretend that this never happened."

Tony gets up and walks around his desk to put a hand on Tim's shoulder.

"Look at me Timmy. You are not your father. You are not going to mess this up and even if you do Delilah loves you enough to kick your ass and move on. You've always wanted this and so does she. She's a great woman Tim. You're a lucky guy. I say go for it."

Tim nods and turns to his desk to sit down. Tony follows.

"How? How do I do this?"

"Well you could try the Rocky approach and take her to the zoo. You could go with A Walk to Remember and build her something. Or. You could go big. You could hire a skywriter. Or you could take her to a baseball game and put it on the kisscam."

"Exactly how many cliche proposal ideas are you going to list?" Tim interrupts.

Tony shrugs, "There are literally tons of them."

Tim sighs and faceplants into his desk. Tony reaches over and pats him on the head.

"Timmy we will figure this out."

"We will?"

"Of course. You don't think I'd let you do this alone do you?"

And God help him because it helps. When did that even happen?

He talks to Ellie next, mainly because she walks in on them trying to figure out how much it would cost to hire a band to follow Tim around. She shakes her head and zeroes in on the ring, "Can I see?"

Tim hands it to her and she whistles, "Holy fishsticks."

Tim nods and Tony grins.

"I know right? McRichieRich here went all out."

She shakes her head, "You really should go grassroots with the proposal. You already went all out on the ring. Do something small. Intimate. Something that means something. Take her to the restaurant you had your first date in. Or make her something special at home."

Tony stands with narrowed eyes, "And how did Mr. Bishop propose to you?"

She smiles at the memory, "He took me to my favorite batting cage and bought me a chili dog with the best onions I've ever had. Seriously it was amazing. Anyway, he pulled out a ring as I finished eating and said he wanted to eat dinner with me every night."

She's got a weird dream like look on her face and Tony looks almost constipated.

"It's not a bad idea. Only we spent our first date hacking into the DoD to steal information. And we usually eat take out instead of eating in restaurants."

"You could write it in binary," Ellie suggests.

Tim shakes his head, "No I don't think so."

"You could bake the ring into a cake or something?" Tony puts a hand on his shoulder.

"No. She'd just end up eating it," Ellie throws in with a horrified look.

Then Tony whistles and they disperse. This isn't something Tim wants the Boss knowing about just yet.

He talks to Abby next. Mainly because Tony's only going to be able to hold this in for so long and she'll freak if she hears it from someone other than him.

As soon as she sees the ring Abby gives him a crushing hug.

"Oh McGee. I'm so proud of you."

"Really? You don't think this is a bad idea?"

The smile doesn't leave her face as she answers, "Of course not dummy. You and Delilah are perfect for each other. And now we get to have a wedding! I love wedding's. Hey do you think Delilah would want the nuns to help with the ceremony?"

Tim smiles, "I don't know. I haven't asked her yet Abbs."

"True," She shrugs, "Well after you do tell her to call me. I can help you find entertainment for the reception. Oh, and I have a friend that does opera versions of Peter Gabriel songs. She'd probably do the ceremony as a gift."

Tim nods warily, "I appreciate that. I'll have her call you."

"Oh yay! So how are you gonna do it?"

"I have no idea. Tony thinks I should go big you know? Get a band and skywriter. Bishop thinks I should go small and meaningful. Like asking her over dinner or something."

Abby nods, "And with all the options your brain is on overload."

"Yeah," He answers bashfully.

"Maybe do something in between. Like you went to Miami together right? Maybe you could take her on a trip and do some of the same things?"

"I don't know. I used all of my built up vacation time while she was in Dubai so I would have to wait at least a year to have enough."

"Maybe if you asked Gibbs…"

Tim immediately shakes his head, "No. I don't even want to tell him until after I know what her answer is."

Abby narrows her eyes and smacks him on the shoulder, "McGee! You have to tell him."

"What why?"

"Because he's family and you already talked to everyone else."

"But Abby you know how he feels about marriage."

"All the more reason to talk to him before you're actively getting married!"

Tim holds his hands up, "Fine I'll talk to him."

Abby nods, "Ask him about getting time off. Or oh! Was there anything you did in Miami that you could do here?"

Tim smirks and Abby pushes him sideways, "Get your mind out of the gutter!"

Tim rolls his eyes, "All we did in Miami was the same thing we did in Dubai. We ate, slept, played videogames, and well…"

"Oh you could ask her on your game!"

That gets Tim thinking, "I don't know. I'll think about it."

"Well if you need help I'm here."

He goes to Ducky and Jimmy next. Jimmy because he's the only married guy on the team and Ducky because he's got to have some insight.

Jimmy's eyes get wide when he sees the ring and Ducky smiles widely, "My dear boy! Congratulations. This is a wondrous time of life."

"Thank you Ducky. So you don't think I'm making a mistake?"

"Of course not Timothy. You have found your soulmate. That is an occasion that begs to be celebrated. Not condemned."

"Jimmy?"

Jimmy is gasping at the ring, but he looks up, "Tim marriage is great, really. It's like the hardest thing you've ever done. But it's worth it."

Tim nods, and takes a deep breath, "Thank you Jimmy. I needed to hear that."

Jimmy nods and says, "This is some ring man. Congrats. Really."

"So any ideas on how to do this?"

"When I asked Breena I was spontaneous. We were talking while she worked and she said something funny and I just asked."

"I don't know. I'm not the spontaneous type."

Ducky and Jimmy nod in tandem.

"I once knew a man who rented an entire restaurant to propose to his beloved. He spelled the words out in different dishes. Of course he spelled the word marry out of shrimp which she happened to be allergic too. It contaminated everything else due to a kitchen mishap and they spent the night in the emergency room. But that's neither here nor there."

"Yeah, let's steer clear of causing an allergic reaction."

"A good choice. Perhaps you should speak to Jethro. He has more experience in this area than any of us combined."

"Yeah. I was afraid of that."

Tim's only been to the basement a few times. Almost always on a case. He and the Boss had been closer but it still feels awkward. But hell, it's a necessary evil.

He walks in determinately, and then gets more and more nervous as he approaches the staircase. As soon as he opens the door he thinks better of it and turns around only to hear, "Tim? That you?"

Well hell, he can't turn back now.

"Yeah Boss."

Gibbs nods as he turns around and empties a jar to pour a few fingers of bourbon. Tim takes it even though he doesn't drink the stuff. Just holds the jar.

Gibbs goes back to working on his newest boat while Tim stands awkwardly until Gibbs hands him a piece of sandpaper.

"If you're gonna stand there you might as well be of use."

Tim decides to go for it and downs all the bourbon in one gulp. It burns like hell and he let's out a strangled noise. Gibbs laughs.

"It's bourbon Tim. You're supposed to sip it."

"Right Boss."

"What's on your mind Tim."

"Nothing Boss. Nothing at all."

"Uh huh. Cause you always show up at my house in the middle of the night."

"Well I could."

"Yeah. But you don't."

Tim pulls the ring out of his pocket and sets it on the boat.

"You got something you wanna ask Tim?"

"I'm going to propose to Delilah."

Gibbs turns back to the bourbon and pours them each another glass. He drinks his in one gulp and Tim feels the need to say, "It's bourbon Boss. You're supposed to sip it."

Gibbs sends him a glare that shuts him up.

"It's just that I feel like it's time you know? We live together already and we've been together for three years. We've been through a lot you know? And…"

"And what Tim?"

"I love her. And I really want to be married to her."

Gibbs sits quietly for a few moments, nods to himself, and says, "Alright then."

"That's it? That's all you have to say?"

"Tim marriage is only horrible when it it's with the wrong person."

"Right Boss."

"So if you're happy, marry her. It's your life."

"I have your blessing?"

"My blessing?"

"Yeah. Your blessing."

Gibbs looks as though it physically pains him, "Yeah. Tim. You have it."

Tim nods but takes a sip of bourbon.

"Anything else on your mind?"

"Well, it's just. How do I ask her? Tony thinks I should go big. Bishop thinks I should stay small. Abby thinks I should take her on trip. Jimmy says I should be spontaneous. And Ducky just told me a very weird story about a friend."

Gibbs nods and picks up the bottle only to find it empty, Tim hands him his own jar and Gibbs takes a drink, "Well. Just ask. Just be yourself. Don't be something you aren't."

"But how do I do that?"

"Aww hell Tim. I don't know. Write her a poem."

Tim nods, "Thanks Boss."

He spends days putting things together. He plans to do it alone but Tony won't have that and interrupts at every opportunity. Tim has to say, begrudgingly, that he has some good ideas.

Still, asking is the most nerve racking thing he's done since his first fire fight.

He starts with dinner, a salad and some pork chops. He isn't a very good cook but its her favorite and Tony gave him a recipe that has been Bishop approved. Then, when they settle into the couch and turn the projector on to play a movie he "accidentally" plays the engagement video instead of the newest Star Trek.

The video has a fairly short run time at just four minutes. It's a montage of things that are important to them. Set to a recording of him reading a poem. It's got scenes from their favorite video games, codes that they've hacked, pictures of the two of them in Miami, and Dubai and in their new apartment surrounded by boxes. Then it cuts to the words, 'Will You Marry Me?' written in the sky and Tim gets down on one knee and opens the box.

He's so nervous. He watches her instead of the video. She's confused for a while but he puts up a hand to stop her. Then she sits up and stares and then the final panel shows she turns back to him and smiles.

"It's about damn time."

He chokes, "What?"

She shakes her head, "Well? Put the ring on me. I want to see it."

He does so quickly and she picks her hand up and smiles at him, "Well come here."

He leans in and she kisses him.

"I've been waiting since I moved back you know? You've only had that ring for two months."

"You knew?"

"Oh yeah. You've been acting funny for weeks. I already started planning the wedding you know?"

"Really?"

"Tim I've been planning our wedding since I was four. But only seriously since I got on the plane home."

"Well then, I guess we're getting married."

She just laughs, "Are you sure you're okay with this? You still get a panicked look when I tell you I love you."

He moves back up to the couch and wraps an arm around her.

"Delilah, I've been absolutely sure of several things in my life. Science. Math. Evidence. DNA. But I've only been absolutely sure of a handful of people. My mom, my grandmother, my sister, the team, and you. So yes. I'm more than okay. I want to do this."

She smiles and puts a hand on his face, "How many times did Tony make you practice that little speech?"

"Fourteen or fifteen. The girls helped," He blushes.

She snorts.

"What? We all expected the question."

"So I just got proposed to by your entire team."

"Uh…"

"It's okay Tim. I expected as much. They are part of you after all."

Tim smiles, "So you still wanna marry me?"

"Well I definitely want the wedding. And the ring. It really is one hell of a ring. So I guess I'll take you too."

Tim rolls his eyes, "That's good cause I'm only marrying you for the tax breaks."

She elbows him in the side, "See we're a match made in heaven."

"Yeah I guess we are."


End file.
